Legion FC Returns to Jagermeister Cup Action at FC Tulsa

TULSA, Okla. – Much is at stake for Birmingham Legion FC this weekend, as the Three Sparks cap off a two-match road trip on Saturday against FC Tulsa for its second match in group 3 of the 2025 USL Jagermeister Cup. The good news for Birmingham before a ball is even kicked is that the squad already has gotten the road monkey off its back, having notched its first victory away from Birmingham last Saturday when it came from behind for a 2-1 victory to snape Miami FC’s five-match unbeaten streak.

“We’ve got to continue to do the things that we did correctly against Miami and continue to strive to improve,” Legion FC coach Mark Briggs said. “We got a good result on the road, but we want more and hopefully those three points gave everyone a little bit more hunger and desire to get more.”

This Saturday’s contest will be Briggs’ first foray into the Jagermeister Cup, although he was in attendance at Protective Stadium back on April 27 when Legion FC opened up its account in the midseason tournament with a dominant 3-1 win over Chattanooga Red Wolves SC.

Briggs would be announced as the club’s new head coach three days later. Now with four matches under his helm, the squad seems to be adapting to his vision and style of play with each outing. The second half against Miami shined a spotlight on that as Birmingham bagged a pair of goals, thanks in large part to Briggs urging the players to regain control of the match with simpler passes, leading to four shots on target in the second half after achieving none in the opening 45 minutes.

“There’s still a long way to go but the guys have done a good job in taking in the information and executing,” noted Briggs. “They’ve been open minded and willing to learn which is important for us in getting to where we want to go.”

One player in particular that has begun to flourish under Briggs’ tutelage has been Tyler Pasher.

Not only did the Canadian forward grab his first goal of the season and then play a huge role in the matchwinner against Miami, but has been a force on the attack as of late. After a delayed start to his 2025 due to a preseason injury, Pasher has reminded the league just how dynamic he can be, whether that’s deployed centrally or out on the wing, leading the squad with five chances created in the last four matches.

“It’s good to have confidence in yourself and have confidence from others around you,” Pasher explained. “It brings the best out of you and I feel like Mark has been doing that with all of the guys and that’s why we were able to put together such a solid performance in Miami and we feel there are many more of those to come.”

A solid performance will be necessary this weekend at ONEOK Field against a stout FC Tulsa, who is riding a three-match unbeaten stretch and is currently sitting third in the USL Championship West standings. Led by forward Taylor Calheira who has found the back of the net nine times in 13 matches across all competitions, Tulsa heads back home after grabbing a point against San Antonio FC with a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.

The squad will be extra motivated to grab three points on Saturday after it began Jagermeister Cup play with a penalty kick defeat to One Knoxville SC, which has it sitting in the bottom half of the group table.

There will be some familiarity on Legion FC’s side for the match with midfielder Edwin Laszo having transferred to Birmingham earlier this month after appearing in six matches for FC Tulsa this season. It presents a unique coaching approach for Briggs, knowing that Laszo will be holding a little extra motivation to help his team try to take down his old one.

“It’s all about managing your emotions when you play a former team,” said Briggs. “It’s part of your journey, and I’m sure he wants to go there and show the best version of Edwin. But the reality of this business is sometimes you can’t control those things. In some ways, it’s just another game and it’s just another 90 minutes and that’s how we all have to approach it.”

Follow Along 
For Starting XI and in-game updates, follow the Legion FC Match Center and @bhmlegion on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.